Housings and mountings for centrifuges



Aug. 16, 1960 F. c. RUSHING 2,949,045

HOUSINGS AND MOUNTINGS FOR CENTRIFUGES Filed Oct. 30, 1944 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Fij 1.

INVENTOR Wan/4* C. Fushz'zgy.

QM ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 F c. RUSHING HOUSINGS AND MOUNTINGS FOR CENTRIFUGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1944 INVENTOR War/1k 6. Rushing. v

62 M ATTORNEY U d? ex s a en HO'USINGS AND MOUNTINGS FOR CENTRIFUGES Patented Aug. 16, 1960 m rotor when charged with such material and when operat- The present invention relates to protective or safety housings and mountings and more particularly to such housings and mountings for centrifugal devices.

In the operation of centrifuges it is desirable to protect the operating personnel in the vicinity of the centrifuge from the dangers of failure in some part of the mechanism which may result in its disintegration. Such protection becomes particularly important when the centrifuge is to operate at extremely high speeds of rotation and flying parts in case of accident are very dangerous. Such centrifuges may also be charged with materials which are corrosive or radioactive or both, in which cases it is absolutely essential to protect personnel from the material in the event of leakage or bursting of the centrifuges. It is also desirable to provide protection insofar as possible to the centrifuge itself so that a minimum of damage will result from a bursting of the rotor or similar failure in operation.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a safe, eflicient and simple protective housing and mounting for a centrifuge.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a protective housing and mounting for a centrifuge which is operable in case of bursting or breaking of the rotor during rotation to absorb both the radially and rotationally directed energy of the flying parts.

Still another object is the provision of protective means for a centrifuge in order to prevent injury to personnel either from flying fragments or dangerous charging material in the event of bursting of the rotor.

The invention further provides a protective housing and mounting for a centrifuge which serves to minimize damage to the centrifuge and the protective means in case of rotor failure during operation.

These and other objects of the invention and the features and details of the construction and operation thereof are hereinafter fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of portions of a centrifuge device, a protective housing and mounting therefor being shown in cross-section; and,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with a typical and illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided a substantial protective housing to surround the rotor member of a centrifuge and the complete centrifuge assembly, including the housing, is mounted on a stationary support for limited rotary movement. A centrifuge with which the housing of the invention may be advantageously employed may be, for instance, one adapted to such high speeds of rotation as about 470 revolutions per second, and may be used for the separation of the different isotopes of a gaseous material. The material passed through such a centrifuge may in many cases be corrosive in nature and likewise radioactive, and there is thus considerable danger involved in a bursting or breaking of the ing at such high speeds. Such a centrifuge may comprise an elongated cylindrical bowl or rotor in which separation takes place by centrifugal action, the rotor having a hollow shaft extending from each end through which the material to be separated may pass and by which the rotor is mounted for free rotation.

In the use of such a centrifuge it is often desirable to seal off a space about the rotor which may be evacuatedin order to minimize resistance to its rotation, and the cylindrical housing wall about the rotor is utilized for this purpose as well as for .protection in case the rotor bursts or breaks in operation. The housing is accordingly provided at either end with annular flanges which serve to seal off the interior in which the rotor is positioned.

The cylindrical housing at its upper end carries an outwardly radially extending annular flange by which both the housing and other portions of the centrifuge are mounted on stationary supporting legs. A pair of flat annular surfaces are provided in association with the supporting legs between which are positioned the radially outer surfaces of the annular flange. Threaded retaining bolts are engaged in the members carrying the flat annular surfaces and pass through arcuate apertures provided in the annular flange so that limited rotary movement of the housing and other portions of the centrifuge is permitted in case strong rotational forces are exerted upon the housing.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown by Way of example in the accompanying drawings, a centrifuge may comprise a rotor or bowl 10 having axially arranged upper and lower hollow shafts 11 and 12 respectively at opposite ends thereof, by which the rotor is vertically mounted for free rotation. It will be understood that the centrifuge will comprise other members not shown in the accompanying drawings which may be of any conventional construction to suitably journal and support the shafts 11 and 12, to drive the rotor 10, and to provide for the entrance to and egress from the shafts 11 and 12 of material to be separated.

The protective or safety housing as illustratively shown comprises a cylindrical member 13 arranged coaxially of the rotor 10 and having sufiicient length to extend beyond the ends thereof. The housing 13 is preferably of substantial wall thickness in order to have a strength suflicient to withstand considerable impact in case of bursting or breaking of rotor 10.

At the lower end of housing .13 there is secured, as by welding at 20, the annular flange member 21 which has secured thereto the annular member 22 by means of a plurality of tap bolts 23 threaded through the members. The annular flange 22 is provided with a circular extension 24 on its upper face which is seated in a cooperating circular groove 25 in the lower face of flange 21, and a suitable gasket as, for instance, of neoprene, may be seated in groove 25 under extension 24 in order to provide a fluid tight seal between the members. The flange 22 thus serves in cooperation with flange 21 to seal the bottom of housing 13 so that a vacuum may be retained therein if desired, and the flange likewise serves as a support for the portions of the centrifuge below housing 13 such as the housing forthe damping mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 30, and suitable thrust bearing means for shaft 12 and gas sealing and supplying means in connection with shaft 12 (not shown).

At the top of housing 13 there is firmly secured an outwardly radially extending flange 31 as by means of a circular weld 32, and on the upper face of the flange is supported the abutting flange 33 having a circular extension 34 arranged to seat in a cooperating circular groove 35 in the upper face of flange 31, and a neoprene sealing gasket may be interposed. The flange 33 is firmly positioned and secured by means of a plurality of tapbolts 33 threaded therein and into flange 31, and serves both to seal the upper end of housing 13 and to support the portions of the centrifuge above housing 13 such as the housing 3h for the upper damping mechanism and other mechanism not shown.

In order to support the entire centrifuge there are provided a plurality of substantial supporting legs 40 to extend downwardly below the bottom of the centrifuge to some firm and stationary support. Supporting legs 40 carry an annular support plate 41 extending radially inward therefrom and having welded to its upper surface the annular clamping 'ring42. Another annular clamping ring 43 is provided above ring 42, and the supporting flange 31 is positioned between adjacent surfaces of rings 42 and 43. As shown in Fig. 2, there are provided through supporting flange 31 a plurality of arcuate apertures 45 to receive therethrough the tap bolts 46 threaded through rings 42 and 43 and supporting plate 41. It is thus apparent that the supporting flange 31 and the entire centrifuge carried thereby, including the housing 13, is supported for limited rotary movement with respect to legs 40 between the clamping rings 42 and 43.

With the construction for a protective and safety housing and mounting for a centrifuge which has been shown and described, it will be seen that protection is aflorded against forces resulting from a bursting or breaking of the rotor 10, and likewise against dangerous scattering of materials which may be present in the rotor. The radially directed forces generated by flying particles of the rotor will be absorbed principally by plastic circumferential stretching of housing 13, and the thickness of the Walls will preferably be such as to absorb the energy safely within the limits of rupturing. The tangential component of momentum may produce a rotary motion of the entire centrifuge and be absorbed between the mounting flange 31 and clamping rings 42 and 43. The friction characteristics of the adjacent surfaces of rings 42 and 43 are known and the tap bolts 46 may be tightened by a calculated amount so that expectable angular momentum will be absorbed within the limits of rotary motion allowed by slots 45. The

rotary movement allowed is preferably limited to an extent which will not break the piping attached to the centrifuge. It will further be apparent that the housing 13 provides a sealed space about rotor 10 which may be evacuated if desired.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanism shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim:

1. A protective device for a centrifuge having a rotatably mounted rotor comprising, in combination, a cylindrical housing surrounding said rotor and extending at least the full length thereof, a radially extending annular flange member secured to said housing, a stationary supporting member abutting said flange, one of said members having arcuate slots therein, and a plurality of mounting pins secured to the other member, each of said pins extending into one of said arcuate slots.

2. A protective :device *for a centrifuge having a rotatably mounted rotor. comprising, in combination, a cylindrical housing surrounding said rotor, a radially extending annular flange secured to said housing, a pair of stationarily held annular clamping rings each abutting a respective annular surface of said flange, and means urging said rings against said flange.

3. A protective device for a centrifuge having a rotatably mounted rotor comprising, in combination, a cylindrical housing surrounding said rotor, a radially extending annular flange secured to said housing, a pair of stationarily held annular clamping rings each abutting a respective annular surface of said flange, and a plurality of bolts passing through fitted apertures in said rings and arcuate slots in said flange for urging said rings against said flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,849 Richards et a1. Sept. 11, 1906 1,698,514 Schmidt ..a. Jan. 8, 1929 1,742,643 Boehm Jan. 7, 1930 1,745,853 Krantz ..3 Feb. 4, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 161,552 Switzerland July 17, 1933 

